Avalanche

3 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Avalanche \Av"a*lanche`\ (?; 277), n. [F. avalanche, fr. avaler
     to descend, to let down, from aval down, downward; ? (L. ad)
     + val, L. vallis, valley. See {Valley}.]
     1. A large mass or body of snow and ice sliding swiftly down
        a mountain side, or falling down a precipice.
        [1913 Webster]


  
     2. A fall of earth, rocks, etc., similar to that of an
        avalanche of snow or ice.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     3. A sudden, great, or irresistible descent or influx of
        anything.
        [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  avalanche
       n 1: a slide of large masses of snow and ice and mud down a
            mountain
       2: a sudden appearance of an overwhelming number of things;
          "the program brought an avalanche of mail"
       v : of snow masses in the mountains [syn: {roll down}]

From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:

  141 Moby Thesaurus words for "avalanche":
     abundance, affluence, ample sufficiency, ampleness, amplitude,
     blizzard, bonanza, bountifulness, bountiousness, bumper crop,
     coast, copiousness, crystal, deluge, driven snow,
     embarras de richesses, enough, extravagance, extravagancy,
     exuberance, fertility, flake, flood, flow, flurry, foison,
     full measure, fullness, generosity, generousness, glide, glissade,
     glissando, granular snow, great abundance, great plenty, gush,
     igloo, inundation, landslide, landslip, lavishness, liberality,
     liberalness, lots, luxuriance, mantle of snow, maximum, mogul,
     money to burn, more than enough, much, myriad, myriads,
     numerousness, opulence, opulency, outpouring, overabundance,
     overaccumulation, overbounteousness, overcopiousness, overdose,
     overflow, overlavishness, overluxuriance, overmeasure,
     overmuchness, overnumerousness, overplentifulness, overplenty,
     overpopulation, overprofusion, oversufficiency, oversupply,
     plenitude, plenteousness, plentifulness, plenty, plethora,
     prevalence, prodigality, productiveness, profuseness, profusion,
     quantities, redundancy, repleteness, repletion, rich harvest,
     rich vein, richness, riot, riotousness, scads, shower, sideslip,
     skid, slide, slip, slippage, slither, slosh, slush, snow,
     snow banner, snow bed, snow blanket, snow blast, snow fence,
     snow flurry, snow roller, snow slush, snow squall, snow wreath,
     snow-crystal, snowball, snowbank, snowbridge, snowcap, snowdrift,
     snowfall, snowfield, snowflake, snowland, snowman, snowscape,
     snowshed, snowslide, snowslip, snowstorm, spate, stream,
     subsidence, substantiality, substantialness, superabundance,
     superflux, teemingness, wealth, wet snow